Crutches
by edmundblack
Summary: /"I hope so," Sirius smiled slightly. "I don't," James said bravely, "I know so."/Firewhisky, Quidditch and strange First-Years can mess with your mind.


**PROMPTS: Sirius – 3. James – 1. Cigarette – 1. New Year's Resolution Challenge – Drug/Alcohol Use - $50. Greek Mythology Challenge - Oceanus – Write about a never-ending friendship. Hunger Games Trilogy Challenge – "Destroying things is much easier than making them."**

Sirius was lounging in a seat on the Quidditch Pitch, resting his broken leg across the stands and trying to keep the crutches from falling on him with little success. A cigarette spilled out from the corner of his lips and his dark eyebrows were furrowed deeply. He wasn't allowed to play Quidditch for the moment, so he had taken to watching James play until his leg healed up. It was a heated match against Ravenclaw and James was shoulder-to-shoulder with Edgar Goldstein, ducking and diving across the pitch. Sirius pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and a pile of ash landed on Marlene McKinnon, who sent him a look that could've made Sirius' mother whimper before turning and swaggering off. He shook his head – he couldn't understand how anyone could possibly _like _that girl.

"AND HE'S CAUGHT IT!" The crowd roared and Sirius craned his neck to see over the group of cheering first-years that sat (stood, really – they were a tiny bit overenthusiastic) in front of him. James was flying around the pitch, a golden glint in his hands. He seemed happy enough, although Sirius knew he wasn't – they had barely one, as James had stepped into Sirius' spot as Seeker and some second-year twat was playing Chaser.

All of the players zoomed down to the ground and Sirius closed his eyes, sticking the cigarette back in his mouth, trying to block out the sounds of the first years. One of them – Zeller? Zac Zeller, had he heard someone call him? – was screaming so loudly Sirius thought his voice was going to be lost, and Sirius couldn't even see why. The boy was a _Hufflepuff, _for Godric's sake, and had been cheering on Ravenclaw the entire time.

He figured he had better start moving, before the crowd got too big, because James had invited him to the after party in the change rooms (_If _they'd won, he had said, but James had sounded pretty sure that he would win). Sirius spat the cigarette out onto the ground and grabbed his crutches, awkwardly making his way down the stairs and into the Quidditch marquees.

"Padfoot!" James yelled, running towards his friend with a grin on his face, "Got down here alright, then?"

"Yeah. Got any firewhisky?" Sirius asked, dropping his crutches in the doorway and hobbling over to a small stool.

"'Course," James winked, muttering something under his breath and grabbing the bottle as it flew through the air, handing it to Sirius, who gulped it all down in a matter of seconds.

"Ah, that was beautiful," Sirius sighed, smacking his lips together appreciatively.

"Usually is," James agreed, taking a swig of butterbeer. Sirius laughed, and then there was a loud crash. James' head whirled around quickly, eyes bugging out as he saw Mary MacDonald on her knees, panting loudly and pushing away Sirius' crutches.

"Great!" She sniffed, "I spent all day making this purse and now it's _ruined!"  
><em>"What can I say?" Sirius shrugged, "Everybody knows destroying things is much easier than making them."

"What were you doing here, anyway?" James frowned, "Quidditch and invitees only, Mary."

"I was invited," She said stiffly, climbing to her feet, "David invited me."

"Wood?" James laughed, "No, he didn't."

"Yes, I did." James turned to look at David, who looked only slightly abashed. "C'mon, Mary."

The girl walked past them confidently, and James shook his head in disbelief, sliding down next to Sirius.

"The things that go on here," He laughed, "You'd think we were in a soap, wouldn't you?"

"Maybe," Sirius grinned at his best friend, thinking something important, "You know what I said about destroying stuff?"

"The thing that made you sound like that old ferret Sybill possessed you?" James snorted, "Yeah, why?"

"Sorta reminds of my parents, don't you think?" Sirius asked gravely.  
>"I'll tell you what it doesn't remind me of," James said, turning slightly more serious, "Us. We're best friends; I think it would be incredibly hard to destroy us."<p>

"I hope so," Sirius smiled slightly.  
>"I don't," James said bravely, "I know so."<p> 


End file.
